Blog

For students interested in media production:

Fresh Films is now enrolling for their free weekly filmmaking program. In-person classes take place on Thursdays after school at the Boys and Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor. Virtual classes are also available. Registration ends December 31st. Fresh Films is also offering participants ages 16 and older are eligible to gain an on-set apprenticeship or paid internship. Click here for more information.

For students interested in mentorship opportunities:

Stanford University’s Qualia Global Scholars Summer Mentorship Program for students in grades 6-12 is now taking applicants. This program is designed to empower students to become future global leaders in the fields of liberal arts and STEM. Students are paired with Stanford mentors. Need-based financial aid is available. Click here for more information.

For students interested in travel and photography:

National Geographic is offering a China expedition to high school students in the summer. Students will be feeding pandas, photographing the Great Wall, going on an overnight camping trek and meeting photo editors at National Geographic magazine’s China Headquarters. To learn more, click here.

For students interested in leadership and social justice:

Apply to be part of Harvard’s Caring Common’s Youth Advisory Board. This board brings together a diverse group of high school students from across the country who are committed to making schools more caring respectful places. As a member you will help create solutions to some of the most pressing social challenges. To learn more, click here. For the application, please email yab@makingcaringcommon.org.

For students interested in tech:

New Earth is offering paid tech training starting in January in the areas of IT Support, Web3, content creation, entrepreneurship training, coding, marketing, and more. To sign up for more information, click here.

The Paradigm Challenge: The Paradigm Challenge, a competition based in Los Angeles, invites students aged 4 to 18 worldwide to submit an idea, invention, mobile app, or any solution that solves real-life problems presented in this year’s Paradigm Challenge. Participants with the top idea from each age division (4-8, 9-13, and 14-18) move up to the next round and compete for The Paradigm Challenge Prize of $100,000. Learn more about it here.

For students interested in entrepreneurship:

The Conrad Challenge: The Conrad Challenge is a purpose-driven innovation competition creating the next generation of entrepreneurs who will change the world. Anyone aged 13-18 is called to expand their collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills. Design an innovation, solve an important problem, and change the world through this challenge. Registration is now open so register here.

Blue Ocean Competition: Blue ocean competition calls high school students from anywhere in the world to take part in the world’s biggest virtual entrepreneurship competition. Participants need to complete the online Blue Ocean Mini Course before submitting the pitch and they can compete individually or as part of a team (max 5 students per team). Learn more about it here.

For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

For students interested in leadership opportunities:

The Metaverse Leadership Learning Academy is an initiative where students from LA County ages 14 to 18 years (high school students) have an opportunity to participate in a free 6-week Metaverse course and receive a certification. The Academy will be open to only the top 100 applicants across Los Angeles. To learn more, click here.

For students interested in art:

Indivisible Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to arts youth programming in Hermosa Beach, is offering scholarships for students who want to attend their programs. To apply for their scholarship, please click here.

For students interested in exploring career options:

Applications are now open for the Airport Police Youth Cadet Program. This program helps instill leadership, academic excellence, life skills, and discipline into its participants. The program also seeks to empower students into maximizing their personal, scholastic, and life potential as well as providing early insight into what a career in law enforcement would be like at the Los Angeles International Airport. In order to join the cadet program a person must be between the ages of 13 and 17, maintain a 2.5-grade point average, have no serious criminal record, obtain a medical examination, and complete the cadet academy. The program is free. Participants do not have to be interested in law enforcement as a career to be part of the program. To learn more and apply, click here.

For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

For students interested in leadership:
The California Department of Rehabilitation is holding an annual week-long leadership program called the Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF). The program is for sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school. Applications are now available for the 2023 program, tentatively scheduled for July 13–19, 2023. If you have any questions regarding this subject, please get in touch with the Youth Leadership Forum by email at YLF@dor.ca.gov.

For students who want to volunteer:
The Rooted Friends Project is seeking volunteers to support a food pantry event, a Friendsgiving event, and a Hawthorne Toy Giveaway. For more details and to sign up, please visit their volunteer webpage.

For students interested in the tech industry:
Brothers Code 2022 is an event hosted by the Hidden Genius Project meant to introduce youth and adults of color to the tech industry as part of National Computer Science Education Week. Participants will practice coding, programming skills, explore career opportunities in the tech sector, network, and find ways to leverage technology to strengthen their communities and reach their goals. This event will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2022, from 8 am – 2 pm. The location is to be determined. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Register here.

Applications are now open for the 2023 Hidden Genius Project Intensive Immersion Program. High school students (Hidden Geniuses) participate in 15 months of intensive technical and entrepreneurial training through two 7-week summer sessions and one year of after-school programming. The Deadline to apply is February 19, 2023. Geniuses:

– Create innovative solutions to community challenges and problems
– Hone leadership and entrepreneurial skills and pitch business ideas
– Design their own websites, software, and other technical projects
– Establish healthy relationships and build trust with peers and mentors

Program Eligibility

– Black males of African descent
– Rising 9th – 11th graders
– No programming skills required

Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,

Check out the new RWL opportunities below:

For students interested in journalism, podcasting, photography, or video:
The LA Times is offering 10 weeks of intensive, hands-on internship experiences. They’re placing interns throughout the departments of the Los Angeles Times:

Metro/Local
Entertainment and Arts
Sports
Politics
Business
Features/Lifestyle (Fashion, Food, Travel, Home Design, Plants)
Foreign/National
Editorial Pages/Op-Ed
Photography
Video
Data and Graphics
Design
Digital/Engagement
Podcasting

These are paid internships and placements usually run from June to late August. They are also offering spring internships for Southern California students. The application for the 2023 Spring or Summer Internship Programs is open. The deadline to apply is November 15. Click here to apply. Applicants for spring will receive email notification of the committee’s decision by Feb 1, 2023. Summer internship applicants will be informed by March 1, 2023.

For students interested in art: 
The Vigilant Love Solidarity Arts Fellowship is a six-month program for Japanese & Muslim American young adults between ages 18 and 25 who have the desire to build meaningful & transformative relationships, experience multi-disciplinary arts & healing justice practices, and organize to resist Islamophobia & white supremacy. Fellows will gain access to facilitation, training, and mentorship from long-time, experienced leaders and artists from Muslim, Japanese, Black, Indigenous, and POC communities. All interested applicants must submit their responses by Sunday, December 4th, 2022. Click here to apply.

For students interested in science and engineering: 
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research for 8 weeks during the summer. SEAP is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in STEM and have the opportunity to learn about Naval research and technology while receiving first-class mentoring by top scientists and engineers. SEAP is a competitive program with around 300 placements in more than 30 labs around the country. Inters are selected based upon academic achievement, personal statements, recommendations, and career and research interests. Click here to learn more. Click here to apply. Applications close November 2.